Chemist finds new home through calligraphy
Her art keeps Ati Zar rooted in her homeland, a strong sense of belonging keeps her in Waterloo
WATERLOO REGION — Ati Zar’s life changed forever when she saw a photograph of Niagara Falls.
It was during a lecture by a visiting professor at a scientific conference in Tehran, and as soon as she saw the beautiful image of the waterfalls she wanted to go there.
The visiting professor at the conference was from the University of Waterloo, and in 2010 Zar came here to do her PhD in chemistry.
“It’s funny, sometimes these little things change the path of your life,” says Zar, who still lives in Waterloo.
She grew up surrounded by beauty in the ancient city of Qazvin. It is about two hours drive from Tehran and the centre of the ancient Persian art form of calligraphy.
Close to her family home in Qazvin is a statue of Mir Ahmad, the man credited with founding the Persian form of calligraphy. Her family home was filled with old beautiful furniture because her father bought and sold antiques, and filled his house with some of the best ones he found.
“From early childhood I was exposed to beautiful architecture and sculptures, all these things have elements of calligraphy,” Zar says.
“Calligraphy is known as the number-one art in my city,” she adds. “A lot of my fellow artists knew how to write beautifully as a calligrapher.”
The art form is part of the school curriculum in Iran, and that was Zar’s first exposure to calligraphy in 2004.
By the time she saw that photo of Niagara Falls, Zar had completed her undergrad and Master’s in chemistry.
After she came to the University of Waterloo in 2010, Zar continued to practice and experiment with different brushes, inks, pens and surfaces.
Zar is passionate about Persian poetry. In her calligraphy she reproduces lines from famous poets, and from the Holy Qur’an.
She did a placement at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery, helping with public programs. It was a great way to learn about Canadian, contemporary and Indigenous art.
“I used this as a tool to both educate and introduce this traditional art to the community,” says Zar.
She calls her calligraphy a bridge between the culture of her homeland, and her life in Canada.
“I receive and I give, which makes it very rewarding to me,” says Zar.
After finishing her PhD in 2017,
Zar founded a business — Ati Zar artisan — to bring together Iranian artists living in this region. They gathered to both work and socialize. That’s how she first learned about the Coalition of Muslim Women of KW, and Zar started showing some of her calligraphy at festival’s organized by the coalition.
“And then I noticed that even those with no background in Islam are interested, and little by little, I gained confidence,” says Zar. “I learned how I can communicate through this art with the larger community.”
Along with TheMuseum, Zar is the co-organizer of this fall’s exhibition called “Harmony and Beauty in Islamic Art.” It is the fourth time TheMuseum and the Coalition of Muslim Women have collaborated on an exhibition.
Works of art in all mediums — paintings, calligraphy, photography, ceramics, quilting, metal, woodwork and collage — are welcome. Interested artists should submit their work for consideration by Wednesday, July 15 to the Coalition of Muslim Women.
For two years, Zar says she focused solely on her art. After realizing that even established artists struggle to pay their bills, she went to work with a med-tech startup that was founded nearly a year ago. It is using artificial intelligence sensors to develop a hand-held scanner to detect the location of blocked or burst arteries in a stroke victim’s brain.
Her calligraphy keeps her rooted in her homeland and builds links to the wider community in this region. She did not plan to stay in Canada, but fell in love with a man here, married and built many connections through her art.
A strong sense of belonging and community are among the most important reasons why Zar decided to stay in Canada and make her life here.
“And I find Canada as my second home after I become a citizen, after I know more about Canadian culture, Canadian art,” says Zar.
She sees herself as part of a multicultural community.
“And I can identify myself, acknowledge my background as a Persian Muslim girl who is doing art and science and can have everything at the same time,” says Zar.
“Being a Canadian and an Iranian, a scientist and an artist, it gives me a good feeling,” says Zar. “Not losing my ethnicity, not losing my religion, and being accepted for who I am.”